Cat Carrier
by Zi-Dawg
Summary: When Soul and Maka are having problems conceiving, it's Blair who comes up with a life changing idea
1. Chapter 1

Long nights in bed were for the most part interrupted by uninvited sunlight shining in through the smallest cracks of an open window. Sometimes it was an alarm clock that was set the night before and eventually forgotten until its ringing woke the entire neighborhood. These were good examples of why Maka would wake up groggy as if she had taken too long of a nap. Neither of these was the reason why her sleep schedule was being hampered with.

She lightly shook her head and breathed in her first conscious breath of the day. She looked to her left, then to her right while yawning and rubbing her face. Soul was still fast asleep laying next to her. The rattling noises coming from the bathroom could only be from one other person. The door was slightly ajar with the light on. Blair had her own bathroom in the house to use as she pleased but it wasn't uncommon to find her fiddling with Soul and Maka's belongings.

Maka snuck out from under the sheets and fashioned herself with a sky blue robe from the closet before walking to the bathroom. She knocked before barging in just in case Blair was doing something Maka didn't want engraved her mind.

"Blair? Are you in there?" Is everything alright in there?" She knocked a couple more times when no reply came. "Blair? I'm coming in ok?"

Stealing toothpaste she could understand. Taking shampoo was also a possibility she considered. But Maka thought more than anything that they'd grown past the stage where Blair was walking around naked in the apartment. Maka found the older woman with her face just inches from the mirror while cupping her breasts. The cat had a befuddled look on her face as she alternated squeezing each one.

Minutes passed before the cat like woman noticed Maka sitting on the countertop behind her.

"Morning Maka." she greeted.

"Good morning to you too, Blair. If ya don't mind me asking though, what exactly are you doing?

"Nothing. Just checking something out." replied Blair while she continued her full body examination. She gently moved her hands down towards her inner thigh.

"Looks like a lot of nothing to me. Mind me asking what you're looking for exactly?" Maka inquired. She noticed that Blair's choice of attire had changed as of late. The purple haired woman mentioned she was trying to make some changes in her life and Maka had to admit that Blair looked more genuine with all of her hair straightened. No more magical curls or crazy witch hats, just a normal, magical woman.

"I dunno yet. Just been feeling weird lately."

"Hey, you've been making some good changes lately, it's ok to-"

"No not like that. I'm all ok up there. I like what I'm doing. It feels good. What doesn't feel good is the rest of my body." Blair turned her naked form to Maka and held up her breasts again. "They feel so tense and sensitive lately. Do they look any bigger to you?" Blair asked the younger woman.

Maka blinked twice before she could come up with a good answer to such a raunchy question. In the past she would have deduced that this sort of situation was one where Blair would try and make her jealous and insecure about her own body. But there was clearly concern in Blair's voice.

"Umm, maybe. I don't know. They look normal to me. Do they feel bigger?"

"I can't tell. Lately it feels like there are bowling balls hanging from my chest, and other times they feel normal." Blair explained as she gestured for Maka to double check for her.

It wasn't a normal thing for Maka to do, but it wasn't anything for her to feel embarrassed about. She'd long gotten past the insecurities of her body in comparison to others, especially her roommate's. She cupped and gently squeezed Blair's bare chest. They were abnormally large and soft, but they maintained a firmness to them that defied the normal laws of physics.

"They seem fine to me. You sure it's not just all in your head? You don't have a fever do you?" asked the meister of 23 years. Blair placed her hand to her forehead in response.

"It feels a little warm. It doesn't hurt though. The rest of my body feels about the same. I couldn't really sleep last night. You got any ideas what might be going on?" Blair asked. Maka had the same perplexed look on her face as Blair had just minutes previously.

"Sorry. I think you're too young to be going through menopause, so I don't think it's hot flashes. Don't think I can help you with whatever it is that's going on." Maka concluded. Blair looked dejected. She wasn't feeling great and didn't have any answers as to why.

"It's fine Maka. I'll figure it out, somehow. I dunno. Anyways, how are thing going with you two? Still trying, right?" Blair wondered. Maka looked to the ground. It wasn't a topic she was feeling good about as of late.

"Yeah, still trying. Don't know how much longer we can just keep trying though. Nothing seems to be working, ya know?" Blair nodded in agreement. "I don't know what else to do. We've tried every month, every season, every supposed lucky day. What's left for us to try?" Maka pleaded, staring into Blair's treasure filled eyes.

"Well, have either of you gotten tested? Maybe one of you has a problem in that department." Blair suggested while she conjured up a robe for herself to cover up.

"I'm worried about what the results might show. What if one of us isn't fit, or what if it's both of us? What if we've gotten our hopes up this whole time for nothing?! What would we do then? How do you even bring something like this up?" Maka asked rhetorically.

"Hey, it'll be alright kitten. You two are meant for each other. Just keep your hopes up. And if you need anything you know you can come to me for help, right? I'm always here for you guys, you know that." Blair embraced Maka and hugged her tightly to let her know she cared.

"Thanks Blair. I really needed someone to talk to."

"When was the last time you checked anyways. You look a bit fuller in my opinion." Blair encouraged with a wink.

"I don't know, a couple days ago maybe? And stop, I haven't grown in years. Believe me, I'd be the second to know if I'd gotten bigger." Maka joked, they shared a chuckle.

"Maybe last night did the trick. Who knows? Maybe in a couple weeks you'll be running into my room with the best news ever!" Maka blushed, had Blair heard them all night?

"Oh, so you heard us?"

"Just a little bit. Also I can smell it on you. You reek of it, Maka. Good for you."

"Sorry about that. Didn't mean to bother you. Sometimes we just get...well…"

"Loud?" Offered the cat. Maka blushed and fiddled with her fingers.

"You know how it is sometimes."

"At least you can't complain about that, right?"

A brief moment of silence passed before Maka broke the ice. "Well I should get back to bed, as should you. Full day ahead of us, right?"

Blair perked up and cracked a soft smile. "I'll try. Just promise me you'll at least talk to him about this, ok?"

"Yeah." Maka whispered before they parted from the restroom.

_**~!~**_

Almost a month had passed since Blair and Maka's talk and still the cat hadn't gotten any better. All of her clothes had been thrown to the floor while the rest of her room seemed to be in the same condition. Everything was out of place. Hanging pictures were tilted, drawers were left open and beauty products were in places they didn't belong. There were also marks on the wall from where Blair had scratched out of frustration.

It was confusing in the beginning trying to figure out what was going on with her body, but once she spent some time in her feline form it became clear. It was the reason why she'd been keeping her distance from her roommates and the all of the men she worked with. She'd gone through this before but the signs were different each of those times. She thought that maybe it was her drastic change in lifestyle that made the signs more subtle.

In the past Blair would have gone along with her natural urges and be done with it. But she was trying to live a more respectable life now, and that meant not jumping everyone who had a pulse. It had been a harder time than usual but she'd almost made it through. By her guesstimation it should almost be over. Her flow had lessened in time while her body temperature had gone down and closer to normal, for her.

In the few weeks that had passed she had heard her roommates going at it like two jackrabbits as they tried to start a family of their own. She would have to pull Maka aside and ask her how things were going with that. For now she had to focus on how she was going to cope with herself for what had to be only a few more days of torture. If only she had something like Soul and Maka had. She wouldn't be in this predicament if there was someone she could trust.

For the hours that Blair spent cleaning her room and ultimately the rest of the shared apartment she couldn't help but wonder if one day she might find someone who cared about her like her two friends did each other. If there was someone out there for her, where would she even begin to look for him?

Blair was sitting at the dining table with a mug of warm milk when Maka walked through the front door.

"Oh hey, Blair. Whatcha drinking?" Maka asked while looking around the room. It was spotless! It seemed like someone worked their magic on their day off. Maka took her shoes off and sat in the chair across her friend.

"Just some milk. I think I'm gonna take a nap in a bit. How was the mall? Get anything cute?"

"No. I didn't end up buying anything. We just walked around and grabbed a bite to eat. I did see a couple things I was hoping to buy later though." Maka admitted, cupping her hands over the table. Blair titled her head as she processed what she thought she heard.

"What do you mean, '_was'_ hoping?. What happened Maka? You did go to the doctor, didn't you?" Blair asked with concern as she wrapped her hands around Maka's.

"I, uh.." she choked. "I did." Maka pulled out an envelope from her pocket and threw it on the table in front of Blair. Her lips began quivering and her breathing quickened.

"Why didn't you open it yet? Maka's what's wrong? What's inside that note?" Blair begged to know. It hurt her seeing Maka look so sad. The younger girl was on the verge of losing whatever composure she was holding onto. It was clear that she already knew. "What about Soul, does he know?" Maka shook her head 'no'. "Maka! You have to tell him! You have to let him know!"

Maka couldn't form words, her mouth just felt so dry. She just nodded her head back and forth, wishing that her reality was just some sick nightmare that she could just wake up from. Blair was quick to Maka's side, grabbing her and wrapping her arms around her heartbroken friend.

"I'm so sorry Maka. I'm so so sorry." Blair held on tightly for what seemed like an eternity while Maka cried into her shoulder.

"Why Blair? Why me? After everything I've done, why does this have to happen to me? What did I do wrong, Blair? Tell me please!" Maka cried out as she collapsed into Blair's bosom. Blair ran her hands through Maka's hair as she tried to console the younger woman.

"It's not your fault. Don't you dare start thinking that it is. Not even the greatest meister in the world could have seen something like this coming. You couldn't have prevented this, alright?" Blair voiced softly, continuing to run her fingers through the blonde's hair. She ran her hands down and started to rub Maka's back.

"Wha-what'am I gonna do? How can I tell Soul that I can't have a kid with him? How am I supposed to tell him that everything we've been trying has all been for nothing?"

"I...I don't know. But I can be there with you if you want." replied the purple haired woman.

"I don't wanna. I don't wanna tell him." Maka stared up and met Blair's saddened eyes with her own broken hope.

"No! You have to Maka! You guys are team! You have to let him in on something big like this, ok? What do you think's gonna happen that you don't want to tell him?" Blair inquired as she distanced herself from the girl while still holding on. Maka shrugged and wiped her face with her arm.

"Why would he want to stay with someone he couldn't have a family with? Why would he have any reason to stay with me if we can't even do this much!?" Maka yelped as she fell to her knees. Blair followed her to the floor and lifted her up by the chin.

"Soul would never leave you for something so stupid. You two are meant for each other. You're like two peas in a pod. You guys are strong together, you can get through this, I know you can." Blair reinforced. She had to think of something to help her friends out, but what? She wasn't a doctor, she didn't know anything about medicine or surgery or anything like that. She was just a cat with an extreme amount of magical powers.

"Hey wait! Maka! What if use magic? I'm sure I could whip up something that could help you guys out! There are so many spell books out there! I'm willing to bet there's a spell out there that could help you two out! What do ya say, Maka? It's worth a shot right?" Blair beamed! She was sure this would help Maka out of her rut. But Maka disagreed.

"Thanks Blair. It sounds like a good idea, but also it doesn't. I know you're just trying to help me out here, but you're just setting me up for disaster. I love you Blair, and I do trust you, but there's nothing you can do about it. It's just the way it is." Maka wiped her tears away and pushed herself from the ground. She helped Blair up before making her way towards her bedroom.

But Blair couldn't just stand by and let this happen. They'd been too good to her for her to just turn a cheek when bad news sprung up. They were her friends and the closest things she had to family.

"Wait! Maka!" Blair wasn't sure what she was going to say next, but anything was better than nothing. If modern medicine nor magic were able to do the trick then she was going to have to come up with another solution. She just had to think. What would Maka do in her position? She'd fight until the bitter end.

Her heart pounded as if it was trying to escape from her chest at the thought coming to mind. It both terrified and excited her. She'd never before considered something so daring, yet at the same time, selfless. Her teeth chattered and her body covered itself in goosebumps. Blair had no idea how she was even supposed to convince Maka of such an idea when she couldn't convince herself.

Maka stopped at the door and waited for more from her roommate. Tears ran down her face while she waited. Maka wanted to just slam her face in a pillow and sleep the rest of her life away in a dream world where anything was possible.

"Maka, I know I'm not usually of any use to you guys and I usually just get in the way of things, but right now I think I can help. I know it may not be how you imagined fixing this, but I don't have any more answers."

"What are you saying Blair? You can't help me with this!" Maka resisted. She was done with the topic. She just wanted to forget about the whole thing.

"I...I'm saying I know how you and Soul can still have a kid together!" Blair proclaimed, stomping her foot to grab the attention of her stubborn friend. "Maka! If you can't bare a child, then I'll carry it for you!"

* * *

><p>AN Thanks to Silv for beta'ing, Red for some great advice and Lucid for the encouragement. I'd love to know everyone's thoughts on something like this. Anything at all is appreciated


	2. Chapter 2

She clutched another soon to be negative test in her hands while an anxious Soul shadowed over her, unknowingly awaiting the results. Maka hadn't the heart to tell him the truth. She knew it was wrong, but it would hurt too much. She couldn't handle telling him as much as she predicted it would hurt him.

"So? What's it say? We gonna be parents? Come on Maka, why're you so quiet." He asked while lightly massaging her shoulders. It was a habit he picked up along the way. He found it usually calmed them both down while waiting for that one plus sign that would change their lives forever.

All she could think of was how she was going to tell him this time? It was different than any other time they'd stood on those cold bathroom tiles for what seemed like hours. On this night Maka was able to predict with 100% accuracy which would show, plus or minus. She almost choked on a lump in her throat when she tried to respond.

"I...give it a minute, will ya? It takes time remember?" She tried to keep an optimistic tone around him. It was hard, lying wasn't in her arsenal. Maka was a beholder of truth and honor. She lived by her word. Without it, what else was she?

"I know, I know. But I just feel like this time could be the one. I don't know why, it just feels different than the other times." He squeezed her shoulder blades with more gusto and peered from behind her neck at the small contraption held in her small, dainty hands.

Maka scoffed. She'd heard that more than a handful of times before. Soul was easily more excited than she to be a parent. Maka wanted to start a family with him more than anything, but just not as badly as he wanted to start one with her. It wasn't that she loved him any less than he loved her, it was something else. She had a hard time putting it into words around him, it wasn't an easy topic for her to talk about. Family had never been her strong point.

"You say that every time."

"I know, but I swear this time it'll be different, trust me!" he informed excitedly He counted down the seconds in his head for when he thought the little plus sign would show. His hands worked their ways deeper and deeper into Maka's muscle to the point where he was almost hurting her. She brushed him off.

Just as Maka foresaw, the nasty negative sign of failure bared it's nasty head once again, crushing their hope of ever forming a family of their own. Maka pulled the device close to her chest as she did with every previous one. Soul hugged her hard from behind and lay his head against hers. He sucked in through his nose and let out a deep breath. He rocked her gently back and forth in his arms until they were seated on the bathroom floor.

"Next time for sure. It's gonna happen." he said in a somber tone, all excitement stripped from his being. It was hard, he knew what he's wanted from the beginning. It wasn't like fighting or sports where he could just practice to get better. No, natural selection was something much more cruel than any sort of torture physical labor could bring him. It was more of a lottery to him, or at least that's how it felt. A million in one. He figured if they tried enough, eventually they'd hit those lucky numbers and get what they so desired. Lately though it seemed as if the odds were more along the lines of once in a lifetime. A true miracle was needed to make it happen. Little did he know.

They sat in silence on the bathroom floor for close to half an hour before Maka chucked the damned thing towards the small trash can that sat next to the toilet. She was more angry than she was sad because she knew the truth. Maka now knew the truth and it hurt much more than any puncture wound or a gunshot ever could. Mother nature had stolen something from her, something that up until this only a few years ago she would have taken for granted.

She wanted it back! And no matter what obstacle stood in her way, she was going to get it! Maka wasn't sure how, but she would find a way even if it took her the rest of her life.

"Yeah. Next time."

~!~

The time Maka spent without Soul had recently changed from being productive around the house to lounging around trying to figure out a solid solution to her personal problem. A lot of crying and internal screaming was involved.

More often than not she would build herself up to tell him what was really going on. 100% of those times she would chicken out. The pounding in her chest would sit her back down and throw her off her high horse. She didn't have the gall to take this away from Soul. She didn't want to destroy his world.

Not today. This was one of those days where her heart nearly jumped out of her chest. The thought of witnessing Soul's reaction to the news enough to tear down her facade. Maka was a strong woman. Maka was strong in general, stronger than most. But she was emotionally one the weakest people she knew. She constantly lied to herself telling her everything would be alright. At the rate of things, nothing was going to be alright. She needed a god damned miracle and she needed it as soon as possible.

Blair walked in while Maka had her hands running through her hair and over her face while she laid on the couch. This sort of thing was becoming a bad habit for the meister. Blair had seen Maka go through some dark times, but this was by far the longest time she'd seen the blond beat herself up for.

She kicked off her shoes and transformed into her kitten form. She snuck up on the younger woman and jumped up on top of her stomach. She began purring and making calming sounds in attempt to create some peace of mind.

"Another negative test?" asked the purple cat.

Maka nodded. She wasn't up for talking, but with Blair it all just seemed to pool out. She needed someone to confide in. Maka was thankful she had someone to talk to.

"You didn't forget what I said before, did you?" Blair asked in a hush tone while curling up into Maka's shirt.

"No."

"Consider it at all?"

"Not really." Maka lied. In truth she'd considered taking Blair up on her offer a lot since it was on the table.

"Why not? Blair just wants to help. Why won't you let me?" asked the domestic short hair as she itched the back of her ear. Maka knew just the right places to scratch.

"It...it's not like that." Maka stuttered.

"Then what's the problem? Is it me? Would you rather someone else instead?" mumbled the cat in a gloomy tone.

Maka wasn't sure where Blair ever got the idea that there was something wrong with her, but she was going to rectify that situation. She sat up on the couch so that the cat was now in her lap looking up at her foresty green eyes.

"What?! Of course you're not the problem! Where did you get that idea from?"

"You've been avoiding me lately. You sit in your room and don't speak to me anymore. I thought that I may be the problem." she explained morosely.

"Non sense. If anything, I'm my own problem. You couldn't possibly have been the problem. Look. There's a wall that's been put up against me since a while ago that I've only been made aware of. It's not a big deal, I'll find my way around it. I always do. Ok?" Maka reassured. Blair transformed back into her human form so she could hug Maka. With the height difference it instead ended up with her breasts suffocating the younger girl.

"I'm so happy to hear that! I was beginning to think that I might have made you jealous or something." she admitted.

As much as Maka enjoyed the motherly figure that Blair was blessed with, she wasn't sure what she had to be jealous about. "What would I be jealous of?"

"Well, I just thought that maybe you were jealous that I was still intact while you weren't. I'm sorry, I was just trying to help out." Blair apologized. She sat with her legs crossed, awaiting a reply from Maka. But she could tell from the way that Maka was biting her lips that she may have done the exact thing she wanted to avoid.

"It's not your fault, Blair. Really. I know you were just trying to help out. It's my own fault for interpreting it that way."

"So you're really not mad at me then?" She asked with those adorable sparkling eyes of hers. It was impossible to stay mad at her when she made the sad kitten face. It wasn't fair.

"No, I'm not mad at you."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"So you'll consider it then?"

Maka choked back a lump before answering. This was a big decision, even if it was part of a bigger preliminary process. Her next answer would be a big decision in a line that would lead up to one of the biggest in her short adult life.

"I'll think about."

Blair jeered hearing Maka say those words. It brought a light to her eye that Maka hadn't seen in a very long time.

"Alright! So that means you're finally gonna tell Soul?"

Maka and Blair were so engaged in their conversation that they hadn't noticed Soul sneak in through the front door. They boy's weekly game was cut short due to some sudden plans coming up on Black*Star's end.

"Tell me what?" Soul jumped in while taking his jacket off. He came from behind the couch and leaned on Maka's head.

"You two have a lot to talk about. I'm gonna go run some errands. Keep it PG now. And Maka, don't forget your promise." Blair quickly scurried off and jumped through an open window near the front door.

Blair left Maka in the exact situation she'd been trying to avoid for weeks! How could she just up and do that to her?!

"So what did you want to talk about?" Soul asked as he took the cushion next to Maka that Blair was occupying.

She took his hands and cupped them between her own and took a long and and hard breathe. Her heart began racing as it dawned on her the news she was about to break. She'd played this exact scene back and forth in her mind thousands of times already, all she had to do was stick to the script.

"Soul." she whispered with her head lowered. Not a bad start.

"Maka."

This was the hard part. She'd practiced this next part in her head many times over but couldn't for the life of her remember how it went. Because when all was said and done, it was impossible to practice a heart to heart conversation. It didn't matter how many times she polished up on it. It wasn't gonna come out the way she wanted it to.

"Blair and I got to talking the other night, well morning actually. She was pretty loud that morning I'm surprised she didn't wake you. You probably woulda been pretty happy seeing what I saw." she teased. It was far from the point.

"Yeah? What'd you talk about?"

Shit! He dodged it.

"Oh...it wasn't anything really. Just, girl stuff. Ya know." Maka shrugged her shoulders. She was terrible at this whole lying thing.

"Nothing I haven't heard you two complaining about before. Is that all?" he asked. This didn't seem as important as Blair pegged it to be.

"Oh, yeah. It's really nothing for you to-Oww! Hey what the-?!" Something just came out of nowhere and bit Maka in the back of her head. She looked around the room and couldn't find a sign of life anywhere. She knew there was though, Maka knew who it was too.

"What was that? Ya'll right?" Soul asked while surveying the room. Nothing seemed out of place nor was there anyone else there, that he could see.

"I'm fine. It was just…" Maka shook her head. She realized it was Blair trying to get her to confront Soul. "Soul. I'm not doing well." Maka admitted.

"Huh? What's wrong? Is it a fever? Your stomach? What hurts?" Soul scooted closer and put a hand over her forehead. Temperature seemed normal. "You don't feel hot."

Maka shook her head then buried it in his shoulder. Her eyes began welling up. "It's not like that."

"Is it anything physical? You...you don't have cancer do you!? I noticed you've been acting really weird lately but I didn't want to say anything about it cause I-"

"Hey woa woa. I don't have cancer, Soul. Jesus, when you go, you go big don't you? Oh my God Soul. I would tell you if I had something like that. This is, something else. It's...it's complicated, ok?"

Maka really wished he hadn't assumed such a prognosis, it made her feel bad for fooling him think like that. She wished there was an easier way, a better way for them to talk about it. She found no such path.

"It's...we've been trying for so long. I…"She breathed in and puffed out through her nose. "I know we're trying to stay positive and we keep saying that it'll happen soon, but I don't know how many more times I can sit there and wait for another negative to pop up." She fell into his open arms and cried until her eyes went dry.

Soul knew what she meant. He'd been trying to stay optimistic for her sake the same way she was doing so for him. He ran one hand down her back and scratched while he ran his other hand through her hair. They sat in silence for hours before she cried herself unconscious. He assumed it must have killed her being so vulnerable and open. He didn't move for over an hour while she laid in his arms.

Maka made the slightest movement when she was ready to get up. She tried to move, but he wasn't willing to let her move farther than arms length from him.

"We'll get through this together, Maka. I promise. We'll figure this out no matter the cost. I'm sure there's a doctor we can see. We can't be the only couple who've run into this sort of problem. There's gotta be a way, Maka. We can do this, alright? It's gonna be alright." Soul assured. She shied away from his stare because it was too hard to look him in the eye when she lied to him.

She didn't count on Soul being so perceptive. He always had been, but it must have slipped her mind. He shot a questioning look her way and turned his head.

"You haven't been to a doctor already, have you? Maka?"

She hummed in response, trying to ignore his pleas.

"Maka? Tell me. Please Maka, you have to let me know what's going on!" he screamed.

"It...it's nothing. I mean, Blair said she would…"

"Blair? This doesn't involve her. This is us, Maka. What did they say? Come on! Why can't you share with me? Why have you been so distant lately? What did I do Maka?" Soul fired one after another in desperation. He had to find out what was going on whether it was the last thing he did.

"It does involve her! But it doesn't, but it does. Look it's got nothing to do with her, we just talked, ok? What do you want me to tell you, Soul? You want me to tell you that I went to the doctor?! You want me to say that they ran tests and I got the results back? Is that what you want to hear?!" Maka screamed. This was their first real fight in a long time. There was a lot of pent up anger on both sides.

"Yeah, in fact I do!"

"Fine I'll tell you!" Maka swallowed a lump in her throat. This was it. No turning back.

"Then tell me!"

Soul hadn't noticed that behind her anger was a leaking pipeline ready to burst and flood outwards.

"I…"

Soul nodded, encouraging her to speak.

She kept opening her mouth to say more but nothing was coming out. She tried, but she knew the truth was going to hurt him. She wanted to protect him.

"What is it Maka!?"

"I'm sorry Soul! I'm so sorry!" She sobbed, mucus running down her lips and tears streaming down her cheeks. She couldn't.

"Maka!"

"Soul I can't have kids!"

* * *

><p>AN: No beta this go around. Comments? Anything and everything is appreciated.


	3. Chapter 3

Maka awoke under a warm and cozy blanket on the couch, alone. All the lights in the living and dining room were off and there was no light coming from under the bedroom door. Soul had left her, just as she feared. She knew it was coming, one way or another it was going to happen.

She panicked and raced around the apartment, opening every door in sight. The bathroom, laundry, closet, even the refrigerator was pulled open. Maka was desperately optimistic. It never crossed her mind to think that Soul had it in him to just up and leave her without a word. And she was right not too.

As she paced back and forth through their tiny home she heard from outside the door, Soul talking to someone. Or at least she assumed. She heard him, but no one else. Was he talking to himself? Maybe he was rehearsing what he wanted to say. She put her ear against the door and tried to listen in, but he went silent as soon as she did so.

Her next move was crucial. She could either open the door and confront him, or hole herself up in their room and wait for him. She'd waited long enough, she had to talk to him face to face and explain herself. She turned the knob and opened the front door. It was dark out and the sky was clear. Soul had his back turned with his arms hanging over the railing.

Maka stood there waiting for him to acknowledge her for a silent minute before she inched over, standing beside him. His thoughts were somewhere out there in the deep skyline beyond the darkened moon.

"Who was that?" Maka asked. She came to the conclusion he was on his phone and not going crazy-talking to himself.

"Wes. Star was giving me a headache and shitty advice. He's on the road so I can't stay at his place."

Maka felt her heart sink. Soul was actually thinking about moving away from her. She fucked up more than she imagined possible.

"Soul I-"

"He's coming here. I'm not going anywhere. Yet. I don't know. I...I just...agh. Dammit Maka, why'd you have to go and pull something like this?" He caught her avoiding eye contact.

She was ashamed. Maka knew she fucked up.

"Sorry." she mumbled under her breathe. "Didn't mean for it to turn into this." Maka crossed her arms and buried her chin in between them.

Again silence fell upon the troubled couple. They stood upon the porch with growing tension. Every so often one would make a grunting sound or a let out an exaggerated sigh, neither knowing the right thing to say.

Soul was glad that his phone began vibrating in his pocket so he could have some sort of excuse to talk. He picked it out to see who it was. He shook his head and let out a breath at what was written.

"I'm going out. I'll be back later." Soul readjusted his jacket over his shoulder and pulled his sleeves out to his wrists.

"Tonight?" she questioned.

"Go to sleep without me tonight. I'll be back by morning at the latest. No need to worry, Maka. I'm not going anywhere, alright? I just need some time to think."

"But-"

"We'll talk tomorrow, ok?" he proposed. He picked his keys out of his pocket and put his left foot in front of the other. The next thing Maka saw was Soul's back getting farther and farther away until he was on his bike, riding away.

Maka threw her hands over her face and spat obscenities she would never be caught whispering alone. She felt terrible about everything. She felt an emptiness in her stomach that was leagues worse than the pains of starvation.

As much as she would have rathered explain herself as soon as possible, Maka figured that Soul needed some time alone to process his thoughts. She walked back into the house and warmed herself under the sheets of their bed. Blair soon joined, taking her place at the edge of her feet.

~!~

"Maka woke the next morning to the smell of eggs and bacon. She lifted her head and took a good sniff and smiled. Exactly what the doctor ordered. She threw the covers off and put on one of Soul's old shirts. Most of them had been converted into sleeping shirts for her anyways.

"Something smells amazing." Maka announced as she made her way into the dining room. Sitting at the table with a coffee in hand was Soul. Blair was seated next to him wearing one of those super sleeveless shirts that wasn't leaving much to the imagination. It was practically an apron with a back and no strings. It didn't help that she wasn't wearing a bra underneath.

Blair was perfectly ok with her choice of attire, but Maka had other fact that any subtle movement would could cause a loss of blood was just antagonizing. Maka was having a hard time keeping eye contact with those big distractions staring right back at her. Maka was amazed by how Blair was able to just put herself out there without any fear at all. She was jealous of the magical cat's courage.

"You should eat before it gets cold." Soul suggested before taking a sip from his mug.

Maka snapped back into reality and looked down at the plate in front of her with a few questions on her mind.

"Monterey Jack?"

"Mhm."

"Salt, no pepper?"

He nodded.

"Made in a pan, right? Not the microwave?" She had to ask for specific reasons.

Soul rolled his eyes and huffed.

"I'm just double checking." Maka stated before stabbing her fork into the plate of scrambled eggs.

Soul and Blair watched and waited for Maka to completely clean up her plate. They didn't have to wait long either, Maka devoured her plate in less than two minutes. She was hungry from all the crying and sleeping from the day before.

"That was great! Thanks for the meal." She jeered while pushing the empty plate to the middle of the table. She felt the tension in the room grow when Soul put his mug down and cupped his hands over the table.

"Look, Maka-"

Maka stood up from her seat and clamped her eyes shut

"I'm so sorry Soul! I never meant to hurt you in any way! I was just scared and I really hope you would just listen, I promise it'll clear things up." Maka quickly declared. She didn't know how the talk was going to go, but she had to at least, for herself, give her side of the story.

"Maka, you know I'd do anything for you. I love you to death, but I have to know why you wouldn't want to tell me something like this."

Maka was relieved to hear he was willing to hear her side. She put her hand on her chest and dragged her chair in between Soul and Blair's. She went on to explain everything from the growing frustrations of never getting pregnant, her talk with Blair, and going to the doctor for a proper diagnosis.

Through the entirety of the one-sided conversation Soul held his dearly beloved's hands in his own, never breaking eye contact. He took his time putting all the pieces to the story together, making sure he didn't miss a thing.

"So, the entire time we've been trying to start a family, there was nothing we could have done?" He asked. She shook her head. "No pills or any sort of drugs that either of us could have take?"

Again she shook her head. "I'm sorry Soul. I should have told you when after I found out. I just didn't want to take away your hope. It was killing me, not being able to tell you." Maka admitted.

"What about Magic? You mentioned somewhere in there that Blair could have tried something to help us out."

"Maka didn't wanna risk it. I've never done any sort of spell like that before, so it was probably a good decision. Wouldn't want to make things worse." Blair jumped in, having felt forgotten in the conversation.

"Yeah, that's why." Maka reassured.

"Oh." Soul mumbled dejectedly. "So what was that other thing about Blair you mentioned?"

"The part where I was naked in the bathroom with your girlfriend?" Blair pondered. The image alone was enough to throw Soul off his serious demeanor. He'd have to ask about that story another time.

"No, you perverted cat! The other thing! You mentioned something about carrying our baby for us or something. What did you mean by that?" Soul asked as he readjusted himself in his seat.

"Oh that! Well since Maka can't do it, we thought, why can't someone else? So I thought I'd help out my two favourite people in whole wide world with one of their dreams." Blair explained.

Soul was skeptical about the idea of Blair 'helping out.' Things usually didn't end well even when she meant to do good.

"I don't wanna jump to conclusions here but are you saying what I think you're saying?" Soul eyed Maka and Blair simultaneously, trying to gauge if they were in the right mind to make a big decision. Soul had his doubts.

"I don't know what else we can do. Adopting…" she threw up her arms and shook her head. "I mean, I've considered it as a last resort sort of thing, but if we could do this another way, I want to at least try!" Maka cried as she held Soul's hands in her own and stared deep into those dark crimson orbs with hope. She wanted him to understand her resolve, but at the same time to not forget her pain.

And who was he to say no to the only person he'd ever loved? He couldn't. But Soul knew that there was more to this plan of theirs, it couldn't be as simple as it sounded. He wasn't sure of the process, but he was positive that their situation was a little different from others.

Soul felt like he was being forced into this decision, even if it wasn't something he it wasn't a time to complain. It wasn't a sure shot thing anyways. He let out a short breath, "Just tell me what I have to do."

Both girls beamed with joy! Maka was ecstatic that Soul wasn't holding a grudge against her, or at least for the moment he was putting it aside. Blair was just happy for Maka. The feline grabbed her two friends and coiled them in between her arms.

"Hooray! We're gonna start a family!"

~!~

Soul spent the night on his computer researching how a surrogate mother works. Apparently there was a number of different ways of going about it. The route that they wanted to go was called 'In vitro fertilization.' It seemed like something he would be ok with, but he still had questions. Most were about the birth mother.

While Soul trusted Blair as his friend and roommate and understood how she was trying to turn her life around, he wasn't completely convinced. She had such a bubbly personality that was hard to contain and control. Soul was worried about the safety of his possible child being solely in her care. Blair had a not so shy past and he was worried about that past coming back.

Forgetting about her personality, he questioned her ability to carry in general. Blair wasn't exactly human. He vaguely remembers her telling them a long time ago that she was just a cat with an extreme amount of magical power. Going by that logic, would she even be able to birth their child? And if so, would it even come out as a human? She had a human form, but he didn't know anything about her biological make-up.

Going by the very little info he knew about cats, they had a shorter gestation period than humans by a significant amount of time. How would it even work? Was it worth the risk using Blair? The last thing Soul wanted to do was bring a child into the world that would be rejected by everyone and everything.

It was too much for him to think about. He had to find another way of solving their problem. Maybe there was someone else who was willing to help the couple out. He was sure that they had a couple friends who would do it for them, Tsubaki was the first that came to mind.

Soul wasn't usually one to take advantage of others, but on top of being a kind person, Tsubaki was an easy person to persuade. It made him question his motives when he thought about it. He could probably convince the demon weapon to do whatever he wanted as long as Black*Star was ok with it.

If not Tsubaki, then his other options were down to just Kim and Jackie. Admittedly, his relationship with them wasn't as strong as it was with Tsubaki. They weren't likely candidates.

Maybe there were others. Maybe he could look up possible surrogate mothers online. Did people advertise that kind of stuff? Hell if he knew, but everything was on the internet these days. It was at least worth a look. So he did. And he wasn't surprised to find thousands of search results online.

Most of the people willing to be surrogates were located from from Death City. In fact there wasn't a single person advertising their body within the damned town. Soul wasn't willing to cough up lump sums over a possibility. If they were going to do this, he wanted a sure thing.

Soul was beginning to think that his options were as limited as they seemed to be. It was either Blair or Tsubaki. And more than likely, Tsubaki wasn't even a candidate due to her and Star's relationship.

The demon scythe was tired and running out of steam. The clock on the stove glowed 6:52 A.M. He was exhausted and needed to get to bed. Soul wondered how Maka didn't notice his absence in bed and come looking for him.

It didn't bother him as much as it worried him. The past couple of days hadn't been easy for either of them, but more-so Maka. His soul perception of course wasn't as great as hers, but he was able to feel the hole in her soul when she cried herself to sleep in his arms. He can't imagine the pain she'd been feeling since finding out the truth he just learned of.

Soul was finding it harder and harder to pin the blame on Maka. She was given a bad break. Yes, she did keep it from him for a while, but she did tell him eventually. That counted for something. He couldn't believe he even thought of taking the coward's way out by calling his older brother, looking for a place to stay. Was he so pathetic that he didn't trust his partner anymore?

He tried to convince himself that he had a rationalized reaction and that he was right. But he was wrong in the way he went about it. He should have let Maka know what he was doing beforehand and let her know it wasn't going to be permanent. He just needed time to think. He wasn't going to run away, he simply needed a distraction.

Soul probably should have mentioned that little fact when they talked. He planned on doing so when she woke, which shouldn't have been very long from the current moment. Maka's sleeping schedule is like clockwork. In a minute or so her alarm should be going off, the neighbors might even be able to hear it.

He heard it ring for a couple of seconds before it went silent. His eyes hurt and he really wanted to go to bed, but he'd wait for Maka. She needed to know what he really thought, what he really wanted.

Soul sat at the dining room table for roughly five minutes before Maka came out of their room. He picked up his tired legs and met her halfway He collapsed onto her and let his head lay on top of hers.

"Jesus Christ, Soul! Were you up all night? What the-!"

"Shhh shhh shhh. Not so loud, you're burning a hole in ears." Soul whispered, wrapping his arms tightly around his short partner. He felt Maka ease up almost instantly.

"I waited for you all night. What were you doing?" she asked in a calmly manner.

"Researching."

"What's so interesting?"

"You know what."

Of course she knew. She just wanted confirmation. She was so stubborn.

"We have a few more things to do tomorrow." he said. His was voice was raspy and he really wanted to fall on the floor and just lay there for a few hours.

"Yeah? Like what?" she inquired

"We need to make a few doctor appointments."

Maka gave him a good squeeze before picking him up and throwing him in bed. The next couple of weeks were going to be exciting!

* * *

><p>AN: Thank you so much to 4 people who took the time out to review. It means a lot getting some feedback. And thank you to those who followed and fav'd the story. Hopefully I can keep up this whole writing thing. It's hard at times, but I'm really enjoying this one. Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas/Happy Hanukkah and may I wish you a Happy New Year in advance.


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